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Saturday, 11 May 2013

Arappu

The word "Arappu" always brings a smile to my face. Because even now, if my elders find out that I am having hair wash with shampoo, I get a good scolding. Arappu is a powder made from the leaves of arappu tree. It's botanical name is Albizia amara. Arappu acts as a natural conditioner. After having a nice hot oil massage, having hair wash with arappu powder is the most relaxing thing I can think off. I think you should experience it, to fully appreciate having hair wash with arappu. We get arappu powder even in cities now. Some people mix it with shikkakai powder to get good lather. But if you make arappu powder with tender leaves, you don't need shikkakai powder at all. It's sad to see, using arappu is slowly diminishing. I agree that it takes some time to massage the oil and have hair wash with araapu, but it's totally worth it. Arappu cools the body and it's chemical free. I read an article few weeks back, saying how you should use a clarifying shampoo to remove the build up in the scalp due to regular shampoo and conditioner use. It really made me laugh. I think we should follow our traditions, whenever time permits to keep ourselves healthy. Arappu powder keeps well, for more than a year.

METHOD:
1. Take the tender leaves of the arappu tree and spread it over a paper or a plate and sundry it till crisp.

2. Once the leaves are crisp, powder it finely in a mixer. We usually sun dry large amounts and grind and store it for the whole years use.

3. To have hair wash, mix the arappu powder with enough water to get a thick paste.

NOTES:

The leaves should be sun dried till crisp.

If using store bought one, you can add a tsp of shikkakai powder along with arappu powder.

Hi, You can get arappu leaves, only if you visit a village. We usually grind large amount of these leaves in the place, where they grind flours. But you can get good quality arappu powder in all the cities in Tamilnadu. In Coimbatore, we get good quality arappu powder in "Rangaswamy chettiar" shop.

My wife and I had a hearty laugh upon mention of "Rangaswamy chettiar" shop. I'm from Chennai, and Arappu sold in Chennai is like sand and I do think it is nothing but fine sand. My wife is from Coimbatore, who was used the Arappu powder from the shop you mentioned. That arrappu and even the one sold by vendors in bicycle in the morning is so good even today and makes so much lather even without mixing with shikkakai.BTW, we live in US and every time we make trip to India, we get a few kgs of another product, "samba rava" from "Rangasamy Chettiar" shop in DB Road. Its priceless!!

Hi everyone. I recently heard about this Arappu Podi from my friend. There is this website Yumshoppy (new one though) where you can buy Arappu Podi. Since it was a new website I placed a small order to check if it is reliable. I got my Arappu Podi last evening. I used it today and im glad I found a way to getit. Hope this is helpful to you all :)

Hello Ramya,thanks for ur wonderful ideas.I m a college student from Coimbatore...I m facing hair loss and dandruff problem..Can i now change the shampoo i use n switch to arappu powder...Can it be used once in two days..

Hello Ramya,I am Kirti, how are you? While In school in Bangalore I had one of my best friends whose name is same as yours...I am now working in Delhi....I want to use your arappu powder but here in delhi its very difficult to find the same.... as you mentioned that the arappu powder needs to be of good quality too... but from where do i procure it?RegardsKirti

Hi Ramya,I was just wondering if it is possible for you to send me good quality arappu powder and shikakai powder to my home address and i can make the suitable payment to you..... Let me know if this suits you........Kirti

Kirti, Many are asking me to sell things in this blog. I have not thought of selling anything in the blog, as I started the blog only as a means to share all the home remedies. But surely I will give it a thought.......... :)

Mam iam using arapu for washing my hair everytime when ever I like to wash my hair but I had one question that any ingredients that has to be add along with arapu. N when I use arapu it sticks to my hair and in my hands also and another doubt is that will it cause dandruff and pls reply me mam

I found Arappu powder as an effective natural 'ORGANIC' kitchen vessel cleaning agent. It is very good even for oily vessels too. I was searching for an alternate cleansing agent to PRIL, VIM etc. as I was very allergic to these inorganic liquids and my nails started to get black and there was swelling on the skin around the nails. It was very painful. Then I looked around for an alternative to these modern cleansing liquid and started using ARAPPU powder. Since then all my swelling has gone and my nails started getting their original colour ( it takes time till a new nail grows in its place). For info I will add that this powder I used comes in the brand name as TIGER BRAND. and the label says that the ingredients are 'ponnan kottai', 'poolan kilangu', 'illuppai arappu thool' and 'kasturi manjal' and labled as PULI MARK SIKKAKAI THOOL'. I recommend this to other modern cleaning agents

You can buy this Tiger SHikakai from Flipkart also.. HEre you go....http://goo.gl/Du1mbG or http://www.flipkart.com/tiger-brand-shikakai-powder/p/itmeb3x3vnhvrp6w?pid=HTTEB3X3ZZQJRPHH&ref=L:-4474187374674163445&srno=p_3&query=shikakai+powder&otracker=from-search

I wish to correct the list of ingredients given in my earlier mail. Since they were printed at the bottom in very small letters I missed it first time. The ingredients were Shikakai, Kapur Kichili, Usilipoo, Soapnut, Mohwa. But any way I found it a good cleansing agentThanks.

mam thank you for your immediate reply . and i purchased arappu powder in rangasamy chettiyar shop which was manufactured by them. it is slightly rough. but i used to wash my hair with this for two weeks in soft water but unfortunately each strands of my hair became thick. after few days later while my hairs some of them are falling a lot i dont know why. and another doubt is whether it is easy to wash arappu powder with hard water that is from municipality. pls suggest me mam. thank you

Hi Justin, Good quality arappu powder will never result in hair loss. The main problem is getting good quality arappu powder. Always try to wash your hair with good water, as I feel hard water also results in hair loss.....

Hi ramya mam. I am also searching for grinding flour mill in coimbatore for grinding shikakai, but I did not find any. They all say that they do not have seperate machine for grinding shikakai as many people do not grind shikakai. If u know any flour mill which grinds shikakai in cbe kindly say me.

Am using arappu for last one and a half months. . I have hair loss problem. . I got it from puliyam patti market in Coimbatore. .My sister also using it, but she don't have hair loss problem. . What to do?

Hi, Good quality arappu powder never results in hair loss. Always have hair wash with arappu powder after oiling your hair (oil bath) and if the hair fall still continues, try different source for buying the arappu powder........

hair fall cannot be attributed solely to shampoos, or other natural cleansers like shikakai, arappu etc. the reasons for hair loss can be internal mainly and external also. a good balanced high protein diet will help nourish and maintain good hair. for external factors,,,,,,,,shikakai, arappu, soapnut, hibiscus, methi etc are very useful. you need to use the stuff that suits your hair and scalp.....so you can customize the ingredients and amounts and use regularly.

also good arappu has the trait of being very sticky on hands and scalp. so i use a balloon whisk to make the paste with shikakai. i prefer a 2:1 ratio of shikakai and arappu,,,,that way the arappu washes off well leaving the hair well conditioned.

Hi Ramya,I have dandruff problem for the past 10 yrs. I have tried many shampoos no results finally I switched to arapu and shikakai. the only problem is my dandruff is not went away. Do you have any home remedy for dandruff.

Hi, The fenugreek hair mask (you can find the method in the blog) is the best for getting rid of dandruff. I have been using the mask for more than 10 years now with good results. But we have to continuously use the pack at least weekly twice to see good results. It also prevents hair fall and keeps the body cool.....

I use to wash it daily because it helped prevent dandruff. However some are telling on websites not to wash daily, and not to use arappu daily and that for some arappu is causing dandruff and hair fall and that arappu is very sticky.

Traditionally weekly twice oil bath was practiced but now because of the pollution, I prefer to have hair wash on alternate days. Having hair wash daily is not recommended because it strips the hair of natural oils. Good quality arappu powder does not cause dandruff at all, we have been using it for years without any problem. If you have hair wash with arappu powder after oil bath (which is the traditional practice) you won't experience dryness at all. Arappu is quite sticky but it not difficult to have hair wash with it. I prefer to make a paste and apply it all over the scalp first, then I gently massage and wash it off, sometimes you have to do it twice if you have oiled hair really well. It is difficult to find out whether arappu powder is of good quality by looking at it, however when you have hair wash with it, it should clean the hair well and should not unduly dry the hair.....

In addition how to tell arappu powder is good quality and won't have counteractive effect like dandruff and hair falling like many state online.

Also how many times is best to oil the hair, de tangle then wash the hair each week?

Some I read say only wash once or twice a week. but for me to prevent tangles, dandruff and oiliness I have to wash it daily. Is it okay to wash daily because I feel I need to provided I use cool water?

I haven't done it lately because I cant find quality hair wash and oil so my hair is very tangled and dry...and scalp is oily these days. I have curly long hair and need more moisture to maintain the curls which these days look dry , flat and tangled and not as black and thick as before ...

hi mam i want to know the benefits of arrapu powder and my frnds told me using arrapu powder with shikakai is very difficult and if not washed clearly in head it will cause dandruff. it is truth or not.

You will find it hard the first few times but with practice it will get easier and I have not seen anyone get dandruff using arappu! If you can source good quality arappu powder, it will make things easier. But though the process is messy, after hair wash you will feel relaxed, body will feel cool, the trouble is so worth it...

Hi Prabha, Good quality arappu powder never dries out the hair but it is increasing difficult to get good quality arappu powder now. And traditionally arappu powder was used after oil bath so it never dried out the hair at all. Usually only shikakai is added and that too just to make it easier to rub on the scalp not for conditioning...

If you want Pure Arappu powder to Hair Wash! Buy at online.http://www.flipkart.com/tiger-brand-arappu-powder/p/itmed65zfxhewznu?pid=HTTED65ZVZXGFCSD&ref=L%3A-4513508909999636436&srno=p_7&query=tiger+brand&otracker=from-search

Good quality arappu will not be too slimy when mixed with water which happens when other leaves are added to it. It should not be too coarse to the touch which happens when very mature leaves of arappu tree are ground into a powder. Good quality arappu powder though pasty when mixed with water will clean the hair well...

Hi! Thank you for all your posts. They are very useful and informative home remedies. They were all used as a way of life when the pace was slower and less demanding of our time. Everything was accomplished yet not as stressed as we are these days!! Feeling very nostalgic! "Meera" brand was the one we embraced when the local mill that ground 'Shikakai' stopped functioning some years ago, unfortunately!!!Can you tell me if 'arappu podi' is also called 'sheekalan thool'? It (paste) is dark green and a bit slimy and requires a lot of water to wash it off the hair! Found this in some organic shop in Bangalore and Mysore. Hope the these grinding mills make a come back!!

hi mam i am from a village near tiruvannamalai. i get freash leaves of arappu and dry them and make powder.but after washing with arappu powder, some residue remains on my head how to wash it cleanly. does any powder should be added to it?

Usually if the arappu leaves are tender, it washes off really well but if the leaves are not tender the leaf pate is hard to remove from the hair. If you really find it hard, you can add shikakai powder along with it, but always oil your hair before using arappu and shikakai mixture as it can dry the hair a bit...

Whenever I am regular with having oil bath & arappu wash, I never have dandruff at all. I am not sure whether it is the ingredients in the hair oil we use for oil bath or the arappu but I find myself free from most of the scalp problems including dandruff...:)

Y dont u put up a video that shows that arappu powder does give lather. We r not in south, we dont have a tree next to us how do we know that arrapu does actually give foam.u seem to b having best quality of arrapu. Hair washing with arrapu is also a bit tricky then y dont u put up a video that demonstrates arrapu hair wash on a small child or someone. I couldnt find a single video of arrapu hair wash on net otherwise i wouldnt have asked for it. Going by your word i ordred a powder and tried it. It was sticky it exactly felt like soap except the fact that it didnt produce any foam and when i added a bit of a shikakai to it , it even left its stickiness. May be i didnt have good quality arrapu. Can please make a video tha t can assure us that arrapu paste actually lathers.

Arappu does not foam but it usually cleans the hair well. And like you mentioned arappu paste is sticky and it takes some to get used to it but once you get used to it you will start liking arappu. The main problem with arappu wash is we don't get good quality arappu powder, we have arappu tree in the farm so I use that always. Last time I tried a store bought arappu the paste was way too slimy and it was so hard to get the oil out of my hair. I will try my best to make a video for arappu...

Hai all,I ve read the discussions done here. Such a wonderful discussion. It is true that ulmost all have changed to shampoo. And slowly we could find hairfall, grey hair at early age (In my Hr sec. class out of 50, two of them have grey hair) head ache, and ..(can list out more). It not alone damages our hair and scalp but also the fertility of our land (the chemicals in the soap and shampoo which ultimately drains to land and water bodies). Nowadays, even in villages people are using shampoo. Fortunately, few people (like you)still remember arappu and its uses. Thanks to Ms.Ramya Viswanathan who has spent time to explain. Ms Ramya has explained about the use of arappu for healthy hair wash. The other aspect is in villages it is not only used for hair wash but also as an inducer for plant growth when mixed with butter milk.

The nature has given varities of plants and trees and each has its own feature. Our elders have understood them and used them. Because of lack of time and moving with this fast moving world we expect everything to be instantaneous. That leads to destruction. Let us trace them back and live a healthy life. I live in a village in erode district, Tamilnadu. Arappu is famouse in our area. The tree is called as 'arappu maram' or ' oonja maram'. I collect the leaves and grind them and send to some of my friends in chennai and coimbatore. Also, i ve sent dry leaves to some people. If anybody needs can contact me. My contact no is 9994141872. Since i ve come across the discussion i ve posted it.